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Wedding Day

All Hindu weddings starts with Ganesh Puja

The most auspicious day of (ver-raja) groom and bride starts with Ganesh Puja, performed by the "gor".After blessings from the gor and the parents and elders the groom sets out to brides home or now days especially outside India, to an hall.

Traditionally the groom travelled on horse, however things have moved on and Mercedez or BMW's have replaced the traditional horse power. After some more blessings groom sets out accompnied by family and friends, called Jaan.

On arrival at the wedding venue, the groom is greeted by his mother-in-law at the entrance. As she performs the arati , she tries to grab his nose, playfully reminding him that he has finally come rubbing his nose at their door to ask for their daughter's hand in marriage.

The bride then comes with the jaimala, and both the bride and the groom exchange garlands to denote formal mutual acceptance. After this the bride and groom sit in the mandapa next to each other before a sacrificial pit or havana kund. And the detailed ritual of kanyadaan begins. Old ladies of the house, the elders, and the friends of both the bride and groom remain near the mandapa, some to carefully follow the ritual, some to enjoy the ambiance. Rest of the guests start towards the other most interesting part of the pandal, the food section.

After Jaimala, the ceremony of Madhuparka is performed, where the groom's feet are washed and he his fed honey and milk while sitting under the mandap. Meanwhile, the bride's sister's steal the groom's shoes. At the end of the day, the groom retrieves by offering his sister-in-law money.

The bride is then carried to the mandap by her maternal uncle in a ceremony known as kanyadaan, a tradition which has survived from the days when child marriages were common. At this point, the antarpat, the curtain separating the bride and groom, is lowered and the couple exchange garlands. It is now time for the bride to be given away in a ritual known as kanyadaan or hasta milap.

Maher Wedding

Mangal Phera

During the mangal phera the couple circle the fire four times instead of the customary seven. The four circles symbolize the four basic human goals of Dharma, Artha, Kama and Moksha.

The couple depart after the vidai , for the groom's house. On arrival arti is carried out by the groom's sister, after which she blocks the door and the groom has to pay to get in, it's all bit of humor. After small prays, a game called aeki-beki is played, by placing a ring and several coins in a tray of water which is colored by vermilion and milk. It is said that the person who finds the ring four times, will rule the house.

After the game the couple touches the feets of elder members of the family and asks for their blessing, as well as givingthe blessings elders give money and gifts too.

The day concludes with prayers to God asking love and happiness for the couple.

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